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DECOR: One Table Four Easy DIY

Just like any good, sweet tea drinking southern belle; if something stands still around me long enough there’s a strong chance it will be painted gold or monogrammed. This is the reality Dear Hubs, Lil B and my diva dog live with daily. Lucky for them, I found this table before I got to them! The best part of this home decor share is that it is big on style but easy on your wallet! I (and Dear Hubs) adore that!

Our living room is in a constant state of evolution. When you last saw it over here it looked like this.

Well, that was one house ago (we moved) and several projects have since come and gone. The shy little bar cart that I found for a song on Craigslist has now moved into a new home front and center as a side table.

Here are four easy DIY projects that I did with on hand home decor and supplies to refresh this space. You can do these, too, in no time flat!

Easy DIY #1: Make an artistic accent. I’ve seen decorative gold orbs of all shapes, sizes and prices everywhere over the past few months. These were a project that I completed with the assistance of my pint size helper (who is 2!) and for less than $1.

Start with a small styrofoam ball (available at craft stores and dollar stores). Simply arrange toothpicks into the foam like it’s your job. Once you are satisfied with the shape, spray paint it. You can make full orbs this way, or flatten one side of the styrofoam before you start adding toothpicks to let it sit flat on your surface.

Several of these together makes a decorative display. I think the one my 2 year old made turned out better than mine!

Easy DIY #2: Update Home Decor. I’m a recovering Staffordshire style dog statue collector. When they were all the rage around 2005-2006, I gobbled up several of them and added them to my decor. Now, while I do still adore their traditional style, I took two of my larger, less expensive ones and spray painted them gold. I rationalized the update because they were either going to sit (a) unused in my basement in a storage box or (b) get donated to someone who could use them. So … why not? So grab something under utilized but still treasured and give it a face lift!

I love them because they remind me of the two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that have called us family.

Easy DIY #3: Embellish it. When we moved, I bought this acrylic lamp at Home Goods. It looks like a much more pricey, crystal lamp and was the perfect size for my side table. The lamp shade was simple; crisp and white. To give just a little flair, I added some decorative trim to it. I used one pack of decorative hem tape from Hobby Lobby (sewing section) and just glued stripes on the shade.

The two stripes feel purposeful and coordinated now; like “where did you ever find that perfect lamp with the gold accents?” Ssshhhh…. our little secret!

Easy DIY #4: Layer it. I am a decisive person (or am I?!?) and when I’m updating a space I’m usually expedient with my changes. I make them and move on. Well, I’ll confess … I fussed over the order and style of this for far longer than you can imagine (ok… it was about 15 minutes). To display the gold diva dogs (DIY #2), I felt like I needed to separate the gold of the accents from the gold of the table. So, I grabbed up a seriously brightly colored French Bull melamine tray that was procured forever ago (along with about 10 others) for $1 on the clearance rack at Micheal’s. I’ve never used it so it just sat unused, with good intentions of gracing some cookout or party. I spray painted the tray antique white then used a little Buff and Rub in antique gold to touch up the edges. Once dry, I added a set of William Faulkner books, a corona and the gold dog statues.

Don’t get me wrong, you can never have enough glam and gold in your life; but the antique white tray breaks up the gold with thoughtful layers.

And with that, my side table refresh is complete and full of glam style! Now, before the family goes hiding in fear again … off to my next project!